Private Arthur Wadsworth
Arthur Wadsworth was born on 27 December 1894 at 25 Agincourt Avenue, Belfast, the fourth of six children of distiller's clerk Arthur Richard Wadsworth and his wife Annie (nee Milne). By the time of the 1911 Census he was living at 119 Ormeau Road, Belfast, with his parents and siblings.
Wadsworth enlisted in the North Irish Horse on 8 November 1915 (No.1814). (His brother John Mason Wadsworth joined the regiment later that month.) He embarked for France in 1916 or the first half of 1917, where he was posted to one of the squadrons of the 1st or 2nd North Irish Horse Regiments.
Wadsworth was listed as wounded in mid-1917, but soon after was able to rejoin his regiment.
In September that year the 2nd NIH Regiment was disbanded and its men, together with some surplus to the needs of the 1st NIH Regiment, were transferred to the infantry. Like most, Wadsworth joined the 9th (Service) Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers – renamed the 9th (North Irish Horse) Battalion – on 20 September. He was issued regimental number 41429.
It is likely that he saw action with the battalion at the Battle of Cambrai in November and December 1917, and perhaps also during the retreat from St Quentin from 21-28 March 1918. Wadsworth was wounded, probably during the fighting around Mt Kemmel in April 1918.
Whether he was able to rejoin his battalion is not known. In March 1919 he transferred to the King's Royal Rifle Corps (No.56079), serving in the 12th and 25th Battalions until discharged, probably a year later.
After his discharge Wadsworth was awarded a disability pension due to inflamed connective tissue of the right foot and a gun shot wound to his nose.
On 24 September 1923 Wadsworth married Mary Isobel Shannon at St Columba's Church, Knock, Belfast. He worked as a civil servant and by 1950 was living at 29 Thiepval Avenue Cregagh and 25 Rosetta Avenue, both in Belfast. He died at the latter place on 1 January 1951 and was buried in the Knockbreda Churchyard.